Steam-boiler.



J. N. LEAGH. STEAM BOILER.

APPLIOATIOF FILED APR. 1, 1908.

I Patented Oct. 13,1908. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses.-

THE NORRIS Pzrsus "0,, WASHINGTON, n c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. LEACH, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J'UDSON L. THOMSON MFG COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

STEAM-BOILER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed April 1, 1908. Serial No. 424,523.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. LEACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Melrose,

in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stea1n-Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in steam boilers, and the object is to provide a boiler which shall be capable of safely carrying very high pressures and in which the area exposed to the action of the heat shall be very great in proportion to the amount of space occupied by the boiler, and the object is further to provide a boiler of the character described comprising a plurality of sections connected together in such a manner that in case of leakage or other imperfection in one section the same may be removed and the boiler continue to be used.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of a steam boiler embodying my invention, the casing being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 2- -2 of Fig. 1, looking toward the left and partly broken away to save space. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of my invention, the casing being partly broken away to expose the inner parts. Fig. 4 is a plan of the boiler shown in Fig. 3 with the cover of the casing removed, the boiler being partly broken away to save space. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and partly broken away to save space. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation illustrating the method of expanding the nipples joining the tubes together.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 is a boiler casing of suitable construction provided with a removable cover 11. Within the casing 10 there are located a series of sections 12 each of which is made up of a plurality of units 13 all substantially identical in construction. Each of the units 13 comprises an outer tube 14 and an inner tube 15 concentrically arranged with a water and steam space therebetween. Into the upper and lower ends of the tubes 14 are screwed annular caps 16 through which the fire tubes thelr extremities, as shown, so as to tightly fit the caps 16 in which they are located. The units 13 are connected to each other by means of nipples 17 each of which as seen in Fig. 6 is placed with its ends located in holes 18, 18 formed in the tubes 14. Each of the nipples 17 is provided with two oppositely tapered or conical portions 19 which are forced into and tightly fit the holes 18, respectively. Each of the tubes 14 is provided with a flattened portion 20 surrounding its hole 18 and each of the nipples 17 is provided with an annular separator 21 formed thereon, the opposite sides of said so arator being arranged in contact with said 1' attened portions.

In constructing the boiler the nipples 17 are forced into the holes 18 in the tubes 14 before the inner or fire tubes 15 have been put in place. The opposite ends of the nipples 17 which project into the tubes 14 are then expanded in the following manner. A ball 22 of the pro er size is introduced into one end of the tu e 14 and is placed in the osition shown in Fig. 6. A punch 23 is then mtroduced through the hole in the opposite side of the tube 14 and ressure is applied to said punch to cause the all 22 to expand the end of the nipple 17 in the hole 18. When the nipple 17 is thus expanded it has the appearance which is shown in the lower part of Fig. 6. The nipple 17 when thus expanded firmly and permanently unites the tubes 14 so that a very high internal pressure will not force said tubes apart. By an examination of Fig. 2, it will be seen that the units 13 are connected together adjacent to the top and bottom thereof by nipples 17. Subsequent to the joining together of the tubes 14 by the nipples 17 the caps 16 are screwed into place, the inner or fire tubes 15 are then put in place and expanded.

Outside of the casing 10 adjacent to the bottom of the boiler is located a water drum or header 24 which is connected to the lower ends of the sections 12 by a plurality of union couplings 25 corresponding in number to the number of sections, said couplings being connected, respectively, to the units ad lacent thereto by means of short pipe nipp es 26 which are screwed into plug nipples 27 which are expanded into said units in the same manner in which the nipples 17 are expanded. The upper ends of the end units of each 15 pass, said fire tubes being expanded at of the sections as seen at the right of Fig. 2 are closed by plug nipples 28 expanded therein in the same manner in Wl11Cl1 the nipples 17 are expanded. At the opposite si e of the boiler adjacent to the top thereof is located a steam drum or header 29 which is connected to each of the sections 1 2 by means of union couplings 30, each of said couplings being connected by a short pipe nipple 31 to the unit adjacent thereto, each of said pipe nipples being screwed into a plug nipple 32 which as clearly shown in Fig. 2 is expanded into its respective unit. Located be ow the plug nipples 32 are plug nipples 33 which are expanded into their corresponding units and serve to close said units at the bottom thereof on the side next to the casing 10.

The weight of the sections 12 is sustained by two supports 34 and 35 secured to opposite sides 01' the casing 10, the plugs 33 resting on the support 34, While the plugs 27 rest on the support 35. WVithin the casing 10 and beneath the sections 12 may be located any usual or desired form of fire box from which the flames pass upwardly through the fire tubes 15 and around the outer tubes 14. Water enters the drum 24 and passes therefrom into the sections 12 being maintained in said sections at a suitable level between the upper and lower sets of nipples which connect the units and steam passes off through the drum 29.

It will be noted that the heating area of the boiler is very great in proportion to the amount of space occupied and this results in a very rapid generation of steam which may be maintained in the boiler at a very high pressure, it being possible for a boiler of this construction to safely maintain a pressure of 1000 pounds per square inch.

If at any time a defect or leak should develop in any one of the sections the same may be removed. by removing the drums 24 and 29 and after unscrewing the pipe nipples 26 and 31 of the section to be removed, said section may be withdrawn upwardly from the casing 10. It is then possible to plug the vacant unions and continue to use the boiler. This is a great advantage where such boilers are employed on motor cars in which ordinarily injury to any portion of the boiler puts the entire boiler out of commission so that it is not possible to use the same until the injured portion has been repaired.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, wherein a modified form of boiler constructed in accordance with my invention is illus trated, this form of boiler is in all respects similar to the boiler first described except that instead of placing the steam and water drums on the outside of the casing and connecting the same to the ends of the sections, 1 place a water drum 24 and a steam drum 29 within a casing 10, said drums being located midway of the ends of the boiler sections and connected to a series of water tubes 36 into the uaper ends of which are screwed caps 37 which are connected by union couplings 38 to the steam drum 29,

said tubes having screwed into their lower ends similar caps 39 connected by union couplings 40 to the water drum 24. The remaining units 13 of the boiler are identical in form with the units 13 of the boiler first described and are connected up with each other and with the centrally arranged water tubes 36 by means of nipples 17. In this ty e of construction the water enters the bo1ler through the water drum 24 whence it passes upwardly into the series of water tubes 36 and thence passes through the remaining units of the boiler, the steam being taken off from the upper ends of the water tubes 36 and passing outwardly through the steam drum 29.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. A steam boiler comprising in its construction a plurality of units, each of said units comprising an outer tube and an inner tube, means connecting said units together to form a series of sections, a header, and a plurality of union couplings connecting said sections, respectively, to said header,

2. A steam boiler comprising in its construction a plurality of units, each of said units comprising an inner and an outer tube, a plurality of tubular nipples connecting said units together to form a series of sections, a header, and a plurality of union couplings connecting said sections, respectively, to said header.

3. A steam boiler comprising in its construction a plurality of units, a plurality of tubular nipples connecting said units to gether to form a series of sections, a header, and a plurality of union couplings connecting said sections, respectively, to said header.

4. A steam boiler comprising in its construction a plurality of units, a plurality of tubular nipples connecting said units together adjacent to opposite ends, respectively, thereof to form a series of sections, two headers located adjacent to opposite ends, respectively, of said units, and a plurality of'unio'n couplings connecting said sections, respectively, to said headers.

5. A steam boiler comprising in its construction a plurality of units, a plurality of tubular nipples connecting said units together to form a series of sections, a header, and a plurality of union couplings connecting said sections, respectively, to said header, said sections being independent of each other except through their connection with said header.

6. A steam boiler comprising in its construction a plurality of units, a plurality of tubular nipples connecting said units to gether adjacent to opposite ends thereof, respectively, to form a series of parallel sections, a header, and a plurality of union couplings connecting said sections, respec tively, to said header.

7. A steam boiler comprising in its construction two cylindrical tubes, each having a flattened portion provided with a hole, and a tubular nipple located in said holes, the opposite ends of said nipple being of greater diameter than the least diameter of said holes in which they are located, respectively, said nipple being provided with an annular separator therearound located between and in contact with said flattened portions.

8. A steam holler comprising 1n its construction two cylindrical tubes having adjacent flattened portions provided, respec- 5 tively, with holes, a tubular nipple located in said holes, and an annular separator located l between and contacting with said flattened l portions, the ends of said nipple being of l greater diameter than the least diameter of l saidlholes in which they are located, respective l In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN N. LEACH.

CHARLES S. GOODING,

l Witnesses:

I LOUIS A. Jonas. 

